Advanced Search

Greek Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christian holyday: The Feast Day of St. Nicholas, Archbishop of Myra, who was influential in present-day Turkey in the 4th century, during the reign of Constantine the Great.[i] On St. Nicholas Eve in parts of Europe, St. Nicholas is said to visit, in his red bishop’s robe and hat, to reward good children with gifts and punish bad children. The British “Father Christmas” and American “Santa Claus” were derived from the St. Nicholas tradition and conflated with the celebration of Christmas.[ii]